Automatic sprinkler



(No Model.)

G. W. KITTELL & W. JACKSON.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER. No. 337,836. lz 'yiatented Mar. 16, 1886.

UNiTEo STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WV. KITTELL AND WILLIAM JACKSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, ASSIGNORS TO THE STAR AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER COMPANY, OF BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER.

A 1' ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,836, dated March 16, 1886.

Application filed May 31, 1883. Renewed November 4, 18x 5. Serial No. 181,824. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. KITTELL and WILLIAM JACKSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sprinklers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in IO automatic sprinklers, the object being to improve the form of the sprinkling-cap, whereby the streams of water are made to shoot off in lines of greater divergence, to provide improved means for preventing dust from accu-- I5 mulating in the sprinkler-holes, and for looking the valve against the water pressure, whereby at the inst-ant that the solder which holds the valve-locking devices in place is fused by heat the latter are completely sepa- 20 rated and cannot reattach themselves by reason of any wetting they may receive.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sprinkler-head constructed according to our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the positions of the parts as they may appear after the fusible connection is dissolved to let the valve open. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the dust-cap on. Figs.

a and 5 are detail views. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the body.

In the drawings, A is the body having the requisite screwed shank thereon, to provide convenient means for attaching the sprinkler to a water-pipe, and having an ordinary valveseat, 0, therein. The sprinkler-cap b is of cup shape, as shown, and is rigidly secured to the body A. The sides of the cap b do not run in straight lines from the body to its cover; but

they are made to describe a series of curves or inclines, as shown in Fig. 2, and the perforations through the sides of the cap are on lines at right angles to the undulating surface parts thereof, for the purpose of giving various diverging directions to the streams of water escaping through them. The cover ofcap bis perforated to let the end of the valve (1 pass through it, the latter being seated on the seat 0, and having its outer end projecting sufficiently beyond the cap I) to afford a clear bearing for the leverf thereon.

A lever-hook, e, is secured to the body A, and stands up on one side of cap I), above the cover of the latter, and is provided with a hook on its side next to valve (1, with which the end of leverf engages.

Lever f is of sufficient rigidity to resist the force of the water-pressure against valve (1, and so hold the latter against theseat c as to prevent any leakage, but is capable of a certain amount of flexure, which is utilized to cause a quick and positive separation of the soldered parts of the valve-locking mechanism when the solder becomes fused by undue heat.

A hook-and-link holder, m, is secured to the 6 side of the body A opposite to the lever-hook 6, .one end of which reaches by the side of cap I), and its opposite end extends toward the screwed shank of the body, and is broadened, as shown, to provide a soldering-surface of 7C suitable area. About opposite the lower edge of cap I) on the holder on a hook-notch, x, is made.

The end of leverf opposite to hook e is secured to the body A, to hold the valve against its seat until released by the melting of the solder by a link, i, which is made flexible, and has oblong holes punched in it, as shown, and a hook, n, which has one end sharpened and adapted to engage in the notchoc in the holder m, and is provided with a short hook on one edge to engage with one end of the link 2'. After leverfhas been placed on the end of valve (1, having one end engaging with the hook 6, link t is hung on its opposite end. Hook a is then hookedintothe link, and itssharpened end is placed in the notch or.

The valve-locking parts are now in the po sition represented by the dotted lines in Fig.

1, and the locking is effected by swinging the go free end of hook a toward body A, and by securing it with solder fusible at a comparatively low temperature to the aforesaid broadened end of the holder m.

When hook at is swung toward body A. to solder it, as above mentioned, it swings the fiat side of link i against the edge of holder m, preventing its hooked end from swinging too much toward the body, and at the same time,

by bringing the hook and link nearly into line,

causes the end of lever f to be drawn toward the body with great force, so that its end springs (after valve d has come to a stop on its seat) in the direction of the tractional strain.

When the soldered connection between hook n and the holder m is destroyed by heat, the spring force of lever f acts totear the soldered parts asunder in advance of the escape of any water from the sprinkler, and with great force, and hence in this construction all danger of having the fusing of the solder arrested by water from the sprinkler is avoided. further precaution against having the soldered connections wet before they become separated to let the valve completely open, the point at which the solder is applied is located some distance from the sprinkler-cap.

Devices of this class are frequently located in manufacturing establishments where a great quantity of dust is in the air, and if the sprinkling-caps be not protected the holes in them become so choked thereby that the efficiency of the sprinkler is much reduced when water is let on.

To obviate the above-named inconvenience, a dust-cap, o, is fitted to set loosely over the sprinklercap I), and is held thereon by the leverf, whereby the cap I) is covered so that dust cannot enter its perforations. Since de vices of this class are generally placed with their sprinkling ends hanging down, the cap 12 will drop off when lever f falls away, but

As a.

were the sprinkler placed in any other position, the water would force olf the dust-cap.

What we claim as our invention, is- 1. In combination with the body of an automatic sprinkler having a rigid valve seat therein, a valve and a perforated sprinklercap, a lever-hook on one side of said body, a

flexible lever having a bearing on the end of said valve and engaging by one end with said book, a link to engage with said lever, ahook and link holder on the sprinkler-body opposite to said lever-hook, and alink-hook adapted to engage with said link and with said linkholder, and to have one end thereof united by solder fusible at a low temperature with the latter, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the body, the valve and the valve-locking devices of an automatic sprinkler, substantially as described, a sprinkler-cap of cup shape rigidly secured to said body, whose sides are formed with a series of curves or undulations having perforations through them in lines substantially at right angles to the undulating surface parts thereof.

3. In an automatic sprinkler, the combination, with the body, the valve, and the valve holding lever, substantially as described, of

the hook e, and link i, the hook and linkholder m, having the notch 00 therein, and the link-hook n, substantiallyas set forth.

GEO. W. KITTELL. WILLIAM JACKSON.

Witnesses:

W. F. RICE, H. A. CHAPIN. 

